Novembrance
by Only Hope-7
Summary: NemIn the month of November, lives will be changed forever. When Stefan is murdered, all evidence points to Nikolas, and it's up to Emily to clear his name.Will she be able to free the man she loves before November ends?
1. Part One

Author's Note: Nikolas and Emily are my favorite couple of GH, so I wanted to write a fic about them. I do not own these characters and am in no way affiliated with ABC.  
  
Part One  
  
It was the eve of November, and Nikolas Cassadine would never be the same. He stood in the study of his house on Spoon Island in a state of shock. At his feet, lay his uncle's body. The police had been called, had now arrived and were currently checking out the body. "Was anyone else in the house, Nikolas?" Nikolas shifted to look his questioner, Mac Scorpio, in the eye.  
  
"No. I don't know who did this. I was walking the grounds and came back to find my uncle like this."  
  
"So he says." Scott Baldwin's sarcastic comment lingered in the air like cheap cologne. Mac shot him a look, warning him to lay off.  
  
"Nikolas, where's your wife?" Mac asked.  
  
"Uh...she wasn't here when I left, but I haven't seen her since I've been back."  
  
"Is it possible that Lydia could have done this?" Nikolas was about to answer him when he heard Lydia's voice as she entered the room.  
  
"Done what?" Seeing the extra visitors in the room she furrowed her brow, then looked at the floor and saw Stefan. She shrieked slightly, covering her mouth. "What happened?"  
  
"Someone shot him, Mrs. Cassadine. Nikolas said you weren't here when he left. Did you see anything?" Mac questioned.  
  
"No. I just got home. The ferryman can tell you." Scottie tossed his hands up, beginning his tirade.  
  
"Well, that's just great! Both of you say you weren't here when it happened. Don't you have any servants in this joint?"  
  
"They have the night off." Nikolas said softly, staring at dead space. Scottie rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh, that's just perfect."  
  
"That's enough, Scott." Mac said firmly, silencing him for the time being. He turned to Nikolas.  
  
"Nikolas, we'll of course, need your statement and Lydia's. We'll see what the coroner says...try and get a lead on the investigation. Stay near the phone." Nikolas nodded.  
  
"We will, Mac. Thanks." Stefan's body was wheeled out and everyone left. Now alone, Lydia turned to Nikolas with a raised brow.  
  
"So..." Nikolas shrugged as she crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"So what?"  
  
"Did you kill Stefan?" He looked at her in slight disgust. She didn't know him at all.  
  
"Of course not. Did you?" She gave an offended expression.  
  
"No." Nikolas took a step closer to her, his head tilted in an intimidating manner above hers.  
  
"Then that makes two of us. I don't know who killed my uncle, but I will find out. Mark my words."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Nikolas, it sounded urgent on the phone." Lucky said as he swiftly entered the study. Nikolas rose from his chair.  
  
"It is." He heaved a sigh. "Stefan was murdered tonight. There of course, are no witnesses. I was taking a walk on the grounds, Lydia didn't get home until after I found him, and the servants have the night off." He knew he could give it to his brother straight, and Lucky responded immediately, the wheels already turning in his head.  
  
"I can't believe this."  
  
"Anyone's going to be a suspect. That's why I need to make sure you have an alibi, so they won't come after you."  
  
"I was with Elizabeth all evening." Nikolas nodded in relief.  
  
"Good."  
  
"What about you? You said you were walking the grounds."  
  
"It's the truth, but it's not an alibi. I will be a suspect."  
  
"Does Emily know?" Nikolas shook his head no. "She would want to know." Lucky was right, but Nikolas protested.  
  
"She's married to Zander. I can't bother her with this."  
  
"It'll be in the papers. She'll find out sooner or later, and she needs to hear it from you. Nikolas, she's loves you." Nikolas closed his eyes and nodded.  
  
************************************************************************** The phone rang four times before Emily picked it up. It was a much needed interruption. She offered a distracted hello, and heard a sigh on the other end.  
  
"Emily, it's...it's Nikolas." She glanced over her shoulder and saw Zander staring at her. Completely turning away from him, she tried to respond casually.  
  
"Oh...hi." And in that moment, Nikolas forgot about his problems because he could tell something wasn't right with her.  
  
"Are you okay? You sound upset."  
  
"I'm...I'm fine." She wasn't alone, Nikolas realized. That's why she sounded so funny. His uncle entered his mind again, and he decided to get to the point.  
  
"I'm sorry to call you, but..." He released a shaky sigh. "I need you." Somehow she knew. He didn't need to say anything else.  
  
"I'm...on my way." She slowly hung up the phone, almost in a trance. Zander's voice brought her back to reality.  
  
"Emily?" She turned around to face him, and then looked at Gia, the mother of his unborn child.  
  
"I have to go." Emily walked past both of them, grabbed her purse and lightly slammed the door behind her. Zander and Gia looked at one another in confusion.  
  
*********************************************************** Just having her in the same room with him felt so right, so comforting. Nikolas motioned for Emily to take a seat and she did. He sat down next to her, their statures solemn. "Thank you for coming." He said softly and she nodded.  
  
"I...I could tell on the phone that it was important."  
  
"It is." He paused, taking in her state. Something was wrong with her too. Her brown eyes were dull with sadness, her mouth slightly frowned. "Em, tell me what's bothering you first." She contemplated her words. How could she really say it nicely? She looked up at him and decided to state it point blank.  
  
"Gia's pregnant," Nikolas raised his brow. "And Zander's the father." He certainly wasn't expecting that to come out of her mouth.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"They were together, um...when...when Zander found out I'd been lying to him about you...we had a huge fight that night outside of Kelly's. Well, somewhere between the time we fought and made up, he and Gia slept together." She shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head. "I...I don't know what to say to that."  
  
"Emily, I'm so sorry." His voice was genuine as it always was with her. Emily kept her eyes focused on her hands.  
  
"I know we weren't together at the time, so technically he didn't cheat on me...but he didn't even wait twenty-four hours to sleep with another woman. What does that say about his so-called love for me?"  
  
"Em, Zander does love you." She slowly looked up at him.  
  
"Not the way you love me." He remained silent. Her words were, of course, true. "You know I...I married Zander because I thought I was on my deathbed. If I had known that I would get a miracle...I never would have gone through with it." She stared at her hands again, blinking several times before looking at him. "Because I don't love him like I love you, Nikolas." Her voice was barely audible as she said his name. He'd heard her do it so many times before. And there was a certain intimacy hidden in it.  
  
"I know." He sighed, forcing himself not to touch her. "We both made sacrifices." She stared at him, nodding. There were so many things that needed to be said between them. So much had been pushed aside. Maybe now was the time and maybe it wasn't.  
  
"Nikolas, there are things...that need...that need to be said..." As much as he wanted to talk about their relationship, Nikolas forced himself to move forward. This needed to be said first.  
  
"Emily, there's something you need to know." She raised her eyes to his, tilting her head in a questioning manner. "My." His breath was heavy and he closed his eyes. "My uncle.was murdered tonight." The surprise was very apparent on Emily's face. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad about it. Stefan had never been her favorite person, but she wouldn't have wished him dead. But Nikolas loved him, and so of course, she was pained for him.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. It was the first time they'd had physical contact in weeks. Nikolas felt a jolt through his body at her touch, causing him to look at her hand. It held a wedding ring on it: one that he should have slipped on her finger himself. Maybe someday.  
  
"The thing is.my last memory of my uncle was arguing with him." Emily began slightly massaging his shoulder in a soothing manner as she listened intently. "He just.he just made me so angry.did things that were so unforgivable. And so I went for a walk on the grounds.just to think.think about the miserable life that I'd allowed to be created by him.and myself. When I got back.there he was.lifeless."  
  
"Do you." She cleared her throat. "Do you have any idea who did it?" Nikolas shook his head.  
  
"It seems I was the only other person on the island at the time of the murder."  
  
"What about Lydia?"  
  
"She wasn't on the island tonight. Ferryman confirmed it." He looked at her for the first time since he'd begun relaying the events of the evening. Her face was pain-stricken, but not because of Zander.because of him. Her eyes were deep with concern, and he knew that their connection was still strong. Perhaps their time apart had made it stronger. "Em, I have no alibi.no way of proving my innocence. All I can say is I didn't do it." She wrapped her arms around him them, enveloping him with her love. He'd been so alone without her, and now, in one instant, all that loneliness had vanished and he was renewed her in her embrace.  
  
TBC 


	2. Part Two

I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks so much!  
  
Part Two  
  
Stefan's murder was all over the morning paper. Zander read the article at the breakfast table, sipping his coffee. He looked up from his reading when he heard Emily enter the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks and stared at him briefly before walking past him to the kitchen counter. The air was thick with tension and Zander struggled to break the silence. He cleared his throat. "It says here in the paper, that Stefan was murdered last night." He turned his head to find that her back was to him as she prepared herself a cup of coffee. She didn't seem surprised to hear the news.  
  
"I know." She said quietly, her back still to him.  
  
"How could you? You haven't seen the paper yet. . ." Realization set in suddenly. "That phone call last night . . . that was from Nikolas, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's why you left in such a hurry. You know, you could have told me." She picked up her cup and turned around to face him.  
  
"Yeah, well you could have told me that you slept with Gia." He closed his eyes.  
  
"Em, it was a mistake. We were apart.I was confused. I know those are just excuses, I'm sorry." She walked past him again to the other side of the kitchen, trying to occupy herself with something else. She absently began going through a stack of yesterday's mail.  
  
"That doesn't change the fact that Gia's pregnant, Zander."  
  
"I'll fix this." She looked at him in disgust.  
  
"How? How are you going to fix this? You can't turn your back on Gia."  
  
"Of course not, but I can't turn my back on you either." Emily sighed, setting the mail down on the counter. She closed her eyes, allowing calmness to wash over her, and then faced Zander in a soft manner.  
  
"Gia . . . needs you more than I do right now. The cancer is in remission. I'm fine." Zander placed his hand in her hair as she looked down at her feet.  
  
"Em, you're my wife." She looked up at him solemnly.  
  
"But I'm not the one carrying your child." He opened his mouth to say something, but there wasn't anything to say. So, she left him to his own silence.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
Nikolas and Lydia went down to the station to give their statements, and the police searched the entire house and island. They didn't let on much about the case, only that they hadn't discovered the weapon. Things were less than pleasant between Nikolas and Lydia, but then again, they had never been great to begin with. Nikolas went for a lot rides in the field along the bluff during the day. It always made him think of Emily. Emily. She'd contacted him several times over the past week since Stefan's murder, and that alone, had kept him sane. He'd needed his friend back, and she was there for him in a flash.  
  
Emily stepped off the elevator and decided which door to knock on. He could be in either penthouse. She'd try his first though. No answer. So, she walked across the hall and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Sonny appeared before her dressed in one of his classic tone on tone suits. "Hi Sonny, I'm. . . I'm sorry to bother you, but is Jason. . . " Her brother's voice cut her off.  
  
"Emily?" She peered around Sonny and saw Jason rising from the couch. Sonny stepped aside, silently inviting Emily inside. She walked over to Jason with her hands slipped into her pockets.  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting." He shook his head, gently brushing her arm with his hand.  
  
"No, no you're fine. Is . . . is something wrong?" His pale blue eyes were immediately filled with concern for his little sister. He'd come so close to losing her, which caused him to be even more protective of her now.  
  
"Yes, but not with me. It's Nikolas."  
  
***************************************************************  
  
"Alexis, thanks for coming." Nikolas said as she walked into the study.  
  
"Of course. Just tell me what you need." Nikolas sighed and began his explanation for her summons.  
  
"I would be a fool to think that I wouldn't be the prime suspect in my uncle's murder. So I'm asking you, will you represent me?" Alexis took in his words, slightly nodding her head. She looked at the ceiling briefly, her lips pursed.  
  
"Stefan was my brother. I loved him for that, and I know that you loved him too. And he loved you . . . more than, well, more than he loved anyone else." He cut his eyes up at her, speaking softly.  
  
"I didn't kill him, Alexis." She offered him a small smile. She knew he didn't kill Stefan, and the look on his face had just confirmed it for her.  
  
"Nikolas, I will be happy to do whatever I can to prove your innocence, if it comes to that." Nikolas smiled wearily.  
  
"Thank you." Alexis nodded her head.  
  
"You're welcome. I'll be in touch."  
  
************************************************************** Every morning when Nikolas woke up alone in his large bed, he wondered if this were the day they would arrest him. Something was going to happen. He could feel it in his veins. There had to be some way he could prove his innocence, but how? Nikolas didn't have any idea. The phone began to ring and he picked it up immediately. It could be the police, or it could be her. He prayed it was the latter. "Hello?"  
  
"Nikolas." He closed his eyes, imagining what she looked like at this very moment.  
  
"Emily."  
  
"We. . . we need to meet . . . right away." He sat up in the bed, noticing the distress in her voice.  
  
"Okay. Is something wrong?"  
  
"Um . . . just . . . just meet me on the pier.our spot."  
  
"I'll be right there."  
  
******************************************************************** Emily stared out at the water, wringing her hands. She heard Nikolas bounding down the steps and turned to face him. "Emily, what is it?" His voice was gentle with concern, and she bit her lip.  
  
"I overheard Scott Baldwin talking to Mac outside of Kelly's. Baldwin says that all evidence is pointing to you. He was . . . he was trying to convince Mac to arrest you." Nikolas turned his head from hers, sighing.  
  
"I knew this was coming."  
  
"What're you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know." He looked at her big brown eyes. She was terrified for him, he could see that. Though it touched him, he hated to cause her more pain than she was already going through with Zander. So, he would do what he had done before: set her free. "Em, it's probably best that you stay away from me." She furrowed her brow in confusion.  
  
"What? Are you nuts?"  
  
"Things are . . . things are going to get even worse, and I don't want you dragged into it." She took a step closer to him and looked him straight in the eye.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere." He moved away from her, becoming angry at himself; angry that once again they couldn't be together, angry that she was always slightly out of reach even when she was right in front of him.  
  
"Everyone thinks I'm guilty! And they should. You know, I have no way of proving my innocence!" His back was to her now, but he could feel her moving towards him, her voice soft.  
  
"Nikolas . . . " He spun around on his heels, grabbing her arms and pulling her extremely close to him, so close that she could hardly breathe. His face showed his frustration, his eyes his desperation.  
  
"Can you look me in the eye and tell me without a doubt that you believe I'm innocent?" His eyes pierced into hers, and without any hesitation, she whispered,  
  
"Yes."  
  
TBC 


	3. Part Three

Part Three  
  
Seeing the certainty in her eyes, he closed his own and released a long breath. All his feelings of angst melted away just by hearing her whisper that one word of confirmation. She knew him, truly knew him. And her faith in him meant the world. Nikolas released his hold on Emily, his eyes drooping shut.  
  
"I'm. . . I'm sorry." He didn't even get the words out before she fell into his arms. Nikolas buried his face in her soft hair, feeling her hold onto him tightly. It was going to be okay, he realized. No matter what happened. Deep down, the unknown still scared him, but he would be fine as long as they faced the unknown together.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
Emily opened her largest suitcase on the bed and proceeded to make several trips to her closet, retrieving as many clothes as would fit. Zander entered their bedroom several minutes later, just as she closed the suitcase. He was in the middle of asking her some random question when he noticed what she was doing. Emily then began clearing off her vanity table and putting its contents into a smaller suitcase. "Em. . . Emily, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm moving out." She didn't bother to stop what she was doing or even look up at him.  
  
"What . . . why?" He walked over to her, but she still didn't make eye contact with him. She was afraid she might lose her confidence if she did.  
  
"I'm making things easier on everyone."  
  
"By moving out?" She decided to look at him then, beginning to nod her head.  
  
"I think its best."  
  
"Em, don't do this." Finishing her task, she now gave him her full attention. Her manner was calm as it was still hard to say this. Even though it was what she wanted, it sill saddened her that it had come to this.  
  
"When I was sick, I asked Gia to take care of you, help you move on.and she did. Then I decided to tell you the truth and she graciously stepped aside. Now, it's my turn." Zander closed his eyes at how selfless she was being as usual.  
  
"You're my wife." He whispered in a voice that did pull at Emily's heart, no matter who she was in love with.  
  
"I'm. . ." She shut her eyes. "I'm filing for a divorce." He furrowed his brow, his mouth hanging open slightly.  
  
"You're what?"  
  
"I'm setting you free. . .forever this time." *************************************  
  
The Quartermaine mansion: it was about to become home again. Emily sighed and walked through the front door with her suitcases in hand. The whole entourage was there to greet here. Edward was already ranting and carrying on about Zander, while Monica and Alan gave Emily a hug. A.J. then began bantering with Edward while Ned tried to play referee. Emily just shook her head and put a smile on her face. Her crazy family . . . and she loved them for it. Alice came and took Emily's suitcases to her room. Tea was served in the study, and an hour later, only Emily, Monica and Alan remained. "I think I'm going to head up to my room." Emily said, rising from the loveseat.  
  
"I know this has been hard for you, Emily." Monica said, placing her hand on the small of her daughter's back. Emily forced a smile, nodding.  
  
"Mom, I'm okay, really. I'm more concerned about Nikolas. . . " Edward's booming voice filled the entry.  
  
"Well, now that the family's cleared out, I'm going to say what's really on my mind. . . " Alan rolled his eyes, mumbling,  
  
"Here we go. . . "  
  
"First of all, I just wanted to state that I never much cared for Zander." He made a fist in the air. "That ingrate will pay for what he's done to you." Emily began to climb the curved staircase, but stopped on the third step and tilted her head to the side.  
  
"Grandfather, please. Don't be angry at Zander, I'm not." Edward walked to the bottom of the staircase and looked up at his granddaughter who seemed to be so calm about the whole thing.  
  
"How can you stand by while that idiot has disgraced you?"  
  
"Edward, leave her be." Alan gently warned.  
  
"I am not going to leave her be. She is my granddaughter and I care about her happiness." Emily began to smile, gracefully turning down Edward's rage a notch or two.  
  
"I know you do. But if there's one thing that Cancer's taught me, it's to not waste time on anger and holding grudges. Zander and I were apart when he and Gia were together . . . and it was my fault we'd fought in the first place."  
  
"Emily, he should have waited on you, given you time." Edward countered and Emily nodded.  
  
"I agree." She frowned slightly, her voice sad. "But frankly, I have more important things to worry about now than the past." She looked at her parents and grandfather once more and then finished her ascent up the stairs with only Nikolas on her mind.  
  
**************************************************************************** ******* Nikolas was standing on the bluffs, the same spot he and Emily had shared their first real kiss, when he felt their presence behind him. "Nikolas Cassadine, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can or will be held against you. . ." Nikolas stared out into space, his thoughts in a blur as Scott Baldwin read him his rights. Everything felt surreal. This couldn't really be happening to him. He felt the handcuffs clenching his wrists, his arms being drawn behind his back. He was being arrested for a crime he didn't commit.  
  
"What are you doing? This man is innocent." Nikolas closed his eyes at the sound of Emily's voice. He opened them to see her beautiful figure charging towards him.  
  
"Emily, I'm sorry. We have to do this." Mac apologized.  
  
"Arrest an innocent man? This is crazy!"  
  
"Em. . ." Nikolas whispered, and she came to his side immediately.  
  
"Nikolas, I won't let them do this." She began to stroke his hair soothingly, desperately.  
  
"There's nothing you can do right now." A fierce determination lit her eyes and took over her voice as she held his face with her hands.  
  
"You listen to me. I love you, okay? And I will fight for you." Her breath caught her in her throat, her eyes filling with tears. She waited for him to nod, seeing tears in his eyes as well. Not because of what was happening to him, but because of her. The thought of leaving her behind broke his heart. Once he gave a conceding nod, he felt Emily's warm lips pressed against him, giving him hope. Not only hope for a future, but a future with her.  
  
"Let's go." Scottie's hand gripped Nikolas' shoulder, urging him to move. Nikolas began to back away from Emily.  
  
"Nikolas..." Emily whimpered, knowing that she couldn't change what was happening.  
  
"Em, it'll be okay." His words reminded her she needed to be strong. His life depended on it, and she wouldn't let him down.  
  
"I won't let you down."  
  
"Go to Lucky. Tell him what happened." He had to raise his voice for her to hear him as he was now being forced into the cop car. He could see her nodding in the distance. "I love you, Em." One of the officers shut the car door just as he finished his sentence. Through the tented windows of the car, he could see her standing where he had left her. The car began to move and Nikolas strained to catch one last glimpse of her to hold onto for now.  
  
***************************************************  
  
Emily ran down the steps to the pier where she saw Lucky waiting for her. "Lucky!" He turned at her voice, the moon lighting up his face in the night.  
  
"Emily, what's wrong?"  
  
"Thanks for meeting me." She caught her breath. "They've arrested Nikolas. Lucky, they're going to charge him with Stefan's murder." He furrowed his brow, placing his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"When did it happen?"  
  
"Right before I called you." Lucky stepped back, his hand going to his chin in thought.  
  
"Did Nikolas tell you to do anything?"  
  
"Just to come to you. I . . . I knew that together. . . we could figure something out. Oh, Lucky, I've got to fix this somehow." She pushed the hair off her face with her hands, pacing the dock.  
  
"Okay, Em...just calm down. We have to think rationally. I know they've considered Nikolas a suspect for obvious reasons, but what proof do they have to charge him with murder?" She shook her head, feeling useless.  
  
"I don't know. Someone's framed him."  
  
"Yeah, but who?"  
  
TBC 


	4. Part FourFive

Part Four  
  
The walls were so cold it seemed. Nikolas sat on the cot in his cell, trying to straighten everything out. All he knew was that he did not kill his uncle. There was something that no one was seeing, but what was it? "Cassadine, you have a visitor." The guard announced. When he looked up, he saw Emily coming to his cell, her hands gripping the bars in front of her. Nikolas quickly moved over to where she stood, hating that the bars were separating them. His hands immediately covered hers.  
  
"Are you okay?" Emily asked; her eyes weighed with concern.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"I told Lucky everything. He's out talking with Baldwin, trying to figure out what grounds they're charging you on." Nikolas nodded, releasing a sigh.  
  
"I don't have an alibi."  
  
"I know we've been over this before, but just tell me again exactly what happened the night of Stefan's murder."  
  
"My uncle I argued. . . so, I went for a walk on the grounds to cool off."  
  
"What had you argued about?" Emily had never thought to ask him until now. It had never come up, and didn't seem to even matter. But it did now. Nikolas stared into her big brown eyes and softly breathed,  
  
"You." Emily remained silent, her eyes still locked with his. The intensity of their stare eventually became so strong that Emily had to look at her feet.  
  
"I wish we had been together that night." Everything would be different if she had of been.  
  
"You were with Zander." She nodded sadly. It was that night she'd not only found out that he'd slept with Gia, but that he'd gotten her pregnant as well. "I.I told Zander I wanted a divorce today."  
  
"How. . . how'd he take it?"  
  
"He was. . . surprised. But it's. . .it's what I want." She looked into his eyes again. "What I want more is for you to be out of here. I shouldn't even be talking about myself when you're behind bars for something you didn't do." Now, it was his turn to look away, and he began ramble justifications for his present situation.  
  
"Em, I know that everything points to me. I had motive, could have easily obtained the weapon..."  
  
"Nikolas, you're innocent." Her voice was firm and it drew his eyes back to hers. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this. You saved my life, and I intend to save yours." He shook his head, his voice lowering to a humble whisper.  
  
"I didn't save you from cancer, Em."  
  
"No, but you taught me how to fight it."  
  
********************************************** "Baldwin, you can't hold my brother here without proof." Lucky confidently pointed out.  
  
"Oh, but we do have proof.it just so happens that the murder weapon was found."  
  
"What?" Scott made one of his classic sarcastic faces, with an arrogant nod.  
  
"Mmm.it's a big island, so it took our team a while to uncover, but sure enough, we did. And guess what? It points to Nikolas as the killer." Lucky clenched his jaw.  
  
"He's being framed."  
  
"Well, you'll just have to tell that to the judge, now won't you?" Scott began to walk away, but Lucky grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Hold on, the judge?" Scott proudly turned back around.  
  
"That's right. This thing's going to trial, Spencer. . . your brother's not going anywhere for a long time."  
  
************************************************  
  
The night air was cool against Emily's face as she waited in the park for Jason. The last time she'd been in this position had been the night she'd told him she was sick. Even though she was grateful that it wasn't the same case tonight, they still weren't meeting on pleasant terms. When Jason arrived, they took a seat on the park bench, Emily immediately resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "Nikolas was arrested tonight." She said quietly and Jason paused.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"He's being framed, Jase. . . they say. . . they say that they found the murder weapon, but. . . he's innocent. I know he is." She shifted her head from her hands and looked at her brother.  
  
"I told you I would take care of whatever trouble he was in."  
  
"I know, but the creditors must still be after money or something. . . they're probably the ones setting this up."  
  
"I don't think so. Em, the situation was taken care of before Stefan's murder."  
  
"But isn't it still possible?" Jason sighed, thinking of Alcazar. He'd never told Emily that he was the man after Nikolas. It would only endanger her. He shrugged, only allowing,  
  
"Anything's possible." Emily paused for a moment, obviously lost in thought. A thought struck her suddenly, one that caused panic to wash all over her body.  
  
"Jase, if they are the ones framing Nikolas, do you think he's in any danger in prison? I mean, do think someone will come after him from the inside?"  
  
"I'll make sure nothing happens." He assured with a calm voice and she nodded, seemingly pacified.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening."  
  
"I'm sorry you have to go through this." She shook her head.  
  
"I moved. . .back into the mansion today." He raised his brows. The very thought of it sent chills down his spine. "Zander and I are.are getting a divorce." A small laugh escaped her lips, even though there wasn't anything funny about what she was saying. "When I was telling him today. . . it made it look like I'm graciously stepping aside so he can be with. . . with Gia. And I. . . I am, I guess. But there's. . . there's more to it than that. I'm still in love with Nikolas . . . and Gia being pregnant has just turned out to be very convenient. Isn't that awful Jase? I must be a terrible person." She put her head in her hands again, and Jason gently moved her hair back.  
  
"Emily, you're. . . you're a wonderful person. Best person I know. You love with your whole heart. You can't help that that heart belongs to Nikolas." She lifted her head and looked at him again.  
  
"I should never have married Zander. I love him. I always will, but I'm not in love with him any more. I married him for the wrong reasons, and no matter. how good my intentions were.it was wrong."  
  
"It was. . . a very unique situation."  
  
"Yeah, I thought I was dying. If. . . if this issue with Gia hadn't come up. . . I would. . . I would honor my commitment to Zander, but. . . Gia does need him right now, and I won't deny her that when. . . when Zander and I don't belong together."  
  
******************************************************  
  
The next morning, Nikolas was brought into the interrogation room to meet with Alexis. She informed him of the grounds they were charging him on, asked him if he could offer any explanation of the weapon turning up, and discussed their strategy in court. "You're scheduled to be court immediately." Alexis said as she closed her brief case, rising from her seat.  
  
"Thank you for helping me, Alexis."  
  
"I told you I would. This is going to be a tough case, but we're going to beat it." She offered a weak smile, and then left. Nikolas sat in silence for a few moments, waiting for the guard to come in and take him back to his cell.  
  
"It seems you have another visitor." Capelli said, as Emily marched past him into the room. Seeing her, Nikolas quickly stood, his hands linked together by chains. Capelli closed the door just as Emily through her arms around Nikolas, stroking the back of his head. Nikolas ached to hold her, but was obviously unable to do so. Instead he turned his head into her hair just as he had the night before, inhaling her sweet scent.  
  
"You shouldn't be here, but I'm so glad you are." He whispered into her ear.  
  
"I couldn't stay away."  
  
Part Five  
  
When the first day of Nikolas' trial arrived, reporters were swarming around the courthouse. Lucky and Emily arrived together and swiftly moved through the crowd with their heads slightly bowed. Continually, they said, "no comment", to their questioners, shielding their faces with their hands. Once inside the courthouse, Emily visibly shook off her frustration. "It isn't enough that Nikolas is on trial for a crime he didn't commit, he has to have dozens of reporters hovering for a story." Lucky held up his hand in attempt to calm her.  
  
"We don't owe them anything, Em. You don't have to answer their questions." She nodded and was about to reply when Lydia walked up.  
  
"Well, well, well. . . it seems the prince's cheerleaders have arrived."  
  
"And what would that make you, Lydia. . . the mascot?" Emily tilted her head with a fake smile.  
  
"Funny, Emily." They made an evil face at one another to which caused Lucky to shake his head. "I'm here to testify, of course."  
  
"Wait a minute, your testifying?" Emily asked with a furrowed brow.  
  
"Don't look so surprised. I did live at Wyndemere."  
  
"Yeah, but. . ." Lucky began to say, but Emily cut in.  
  
"There's Alexis. I'm going to go talk to her." He watched her walk away, but Lydia's voice drew him back.  
  
"Shall we?" Lydia looked in the direction of the courtroom and then back at Lucky. She then began to walk inside with Lucky right behind her.  
  
"Lydia, listen to me. You don't have to testify. You know the rules."  
  
"It's very important that I do Lucky. I'm one of the last people that saw Stefan alive."  
  
"Yeah, but can you tell the court anything positive on Nikolas' behalf?" She didn't seem to have anything to say, so Lucky was about to drive his point, but the judge's voice filled the court room.  
  
"All rise."  
  
"Lydia." He whispered firmly, but she ignored him. Lucky rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to Emily. A few minutes later, Lydia was being sworn in. The prosecution began its questioning.  
  
"Mrs. Cassadine, tell us what the relationship was like between your husband and his uncle." Jeff Campbell was the prosecutor in the case and paced the floor with an air of intimidation.  
  
"Um. . . tense, I would say."  
  
"Surely, there was some form of love between them. Nikolas was basically raised by his uncle."  
  
"Stefan was incapable of real love. However, he did claim to love Nikolas. . .and in his own sick way, I suppose he did."  
  
"And what about your husband?"  
  
"Nikolas loved his uncle." Lucky unconsciously nodded his head as he watched. So far, so good.  
  
"And yet you describe their relationship as "tense". Why is that?"  
  
"Because. . . they disagreed on several matters." Again, Jeff asked,  
  
"Why is that?" Lydia paused for a moment, her lower lip protruding in thought.  
  
"Well...Nikolas felt that Stefan was trying to run his life."  
  
"So, was Nikolas bitter towards him?"  
  
"I wouldn't say bitter. . . " Jeff placed his palms on the witness stand, leaning over dauntingly.  
  
"Let me ask it this way: Was there ever a time that you heard your husband make a statement about his uncle saying that he viewed him as an enemy?"  
  
"Um. . . " She glanced at Nikolas, Lucky, and then the jury. "Yes." Lucky shifted in his seat, knowing where this was going.  
  
"What did he say?" Lydia sighed.  
  
"It was in reference to a certain event that had occurred. Nikolas said that the day that event happened, his uncle had become a stranger to him." She was, of course, referring to the day Nikolas was convinced that Stefan had tried to kill Emily. Remembering the day vividly, Lucky shot up from his seat in fury.  
  
"That's not fair! I was there and. . ."  
  
"Mr. Spencer, if you cannot control yourself, I will have you removed from my courtroom. Now, take your seat." The judge ordered sternly, and Lucky felt Emily's hand on his arm gently urging him to sit. So, he slowly sat back down. The prosecutor went back to his questioning, quite pleased with himself.  
  
"Mrs. Cassadine. . . do you think your husband is an innocent man?" The question took Lydia by surprise and she stuttered in response.  
  
"I . . . I . . . " Knowing that he'd accomplished catching her off-guard, Jeff Campbell leaned closer to her.  
  
"Do you think it's possible that your husband killed his uncle?" Lydia's eyes averted to Nikolas again, who was staring at her blankly, knowing what she was going to say. Then she looked at Lucky, whose eyes were pleading with her to say, no. Finally, she looked at Jeff with confidence.  
  
"Yes." Lydia's response caused an uproar in the court room. Lucky sat back in his chair, shaking his head. Nikolas rubbed his face with his hands while the judge calmed everyone down by beating her gavel. Lydia was dismissed from the stand, and the prosecutor now called Emily to the stand. Hearing her name, Nikolas looked up and watched Emily walk forward, be sworn in, and take a seat. She wore a burgundy pant suit, a suit that would have looked wonderful with the bracelet he had tried to give her. Emily lifted her hand up to move some hair off her face, and for a brief moment, Nikolas swore he saw the family heirloom elegantly hanging on her wrist. But it wasn't, of course.  
  
"Mrs. Smith. . . or do you prefer Quartermaine?" Emily took a long look at Jeff's cunning eyes and then replied.  
  
"Quartermaine is fine." Jeff nodded, pleased.  
  
"Ms. Quartermaine, do you believe that Mr. Cassadine is guilty?"  
  
"No." Her response was immediate and confident. Jeff Campbell took note. She'd be tougher to crack than Nikolas' own wife.  
  
"How sure are you of his innocence?"  
  
"I would lay my life on it." Nikolas closed his eyes briefly, honored by her faith.  
  
"That's a pretty strong statement. How do you know that the defendant didn't do it? You weren't there."  
  
"I know Nikolas." She stated simply.  
  
"Just how well do you know him?"  
  
"We've been close friends for years." He leaned in.  
  
"How close?" Her face showed slight irritation as her stubborn side was making its appearance.  
  
"Very close." Jeff nodded, making a quarter circle. He turned his head towards Emily.  
  
"Would you say that you love Nikolas?" Love could mean many things, of course. The inflection in Jeff's voice suggested as a friend or family member, but if she read between the lines, he was asking her more. But it didn't matter what form of love he was questioning. Emily's answer would be the same to any of it.  
  
"Yes." Emily responded in a whisper, glancing at Nikolas. He was nearly beside himself not being able to say anything.  
  
"You've been having marital problems, have you not?" There was no hiding the shock on Emily's face and Alexis shot up from her seat.  
  
"Objection! This is irrelevant, your Honor." Jeff Campbell held his hand up in apology.  
  
"Your Honor, let me re-phrase that." The judge gave a conceding nod.  
  
"Mrs. Smith.I mean Quartermaine...you and your husband are in the process of a divorce, are you not?"  
  
"Yes, but that has nothing to do with Nikolas." She insisted; her voice slightly upset.  
  
"Would you say that your love for Nikolas causes you to not be objectionable?"  
  
"My support of Nikolas is based on fact. . . who I know him to be."  
  
"You've mentioned more than once, that you know Nikolas."  
  
"I told you that we've been friends for a long time, and he would never kill his uncle." There was a firmness in her voice as she finished her sentence.  
  
"Describe their relationship, please." Jeff held his chin his hand, pacing the floor as he listened.  
  
"Stefan was like a father to Nikolas, and Nikolas loved him for that. However, Stefan was a ruthless man, who made choices that Nikolas would have never made. . . choices that Nikolas could never stand for because he is a good and honest man...who has a very strong sense of family obligation and putting other's needs first. Nikolas is the most unselfish person I have ever met." Emily locked eyes with Nikolas as she finished and she could see gratitude in his. His eyelids drooped slightly and then lifted again. She'd seen him do it a million times. She knew him so well, and he knew her.  
  
"That'll be all for now." Jeff concluded.  
  
"Court is adjourned for one hour." The judge announced. Everyone rose and began to exit the courtroom. Emily left the stand and walked over to Nikolas, Lucky joining them as well. Jeff Campbell watched the interaction among Nikolas and Emily from a distance.  
  
"Thanks for what you said, Em." Nikolas' voice was soft, his face weary.  
  
"I don't know that I was any help. The way he words the questions. . . " Lucky placed his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You did the best you could." Nikolas nodded at his brother, taking Emily's hand in his.  
  
"Lucky's right. You handled yourself very well. You certainly made me look a lot better than Lydia did." The guard motioned to take Nikolas back to his cell. "I gotta go."  
  
"Nikolas, don't give up." Emily reminded, giving his hand a final squeeze.  
  
"Not a chance." With that, he turned around and was led out. Jeff watched as Lucky and Emily walked out of the courtroom, contemplating what he had just witnessed between Nikolas and Emily.  
  
"There's something going on between those two, and I intend to find out."  
  
************************************************  
  
Emily spotted Lydia outside of the courtroom, and parted ways with Lucky. She smoothly walked up beside Lydia, grabbing her arm. "We need to talk." Emily said into her ear with firmness.  
  
"Oh, goody." Lydia's sarcastic voice penetrated the air around them.  
  
"What were you thinking in there? Saying that you think Nikolas could have killed Stefan when you know he didn't." Emily brought them to a halt, making Lydia face her.  
  
"I was under oath. I didn't have a choice."  
  
"You know he wouldn't have killed his uncle." Lydia lifted her chin in a mocked laugh.  
  
"Well, obviously I don't "know" him like you so eloquently put it on the witness stand." Emily stared at her with a tight jaw.  
  
"I was defending him."  
  
"Please, save it. I've heard enough about your devotion to Nikolas, and his to you, to last me a lifetime." She shifted slightly in attempt to leave, but Emily pulled her back.  
  
"Still, you can't think that Nikolas would kill Stefan."  
  
"You didn't hear the argument I did between the two them shortly before Stefan's murder. It got very ugly." Emily gave her and expression of doubt.  
  
"And so that makes him guilty?"  
  
"It makes it possible. I left the island right afterwards and the servants had the night off. Nikolas was the only one home besides Stefan."  
  
"I don't care what the evidence points to. There's not a doubt in my mind that Nikolas is innocent." Lydia paused briefly, reading Emily's eyes. She wasn't going to let this go. But Lydia kept her guard up.  
  
"I'm glad you're so convinced. Now, try and convince a jury." This time, she did walk away, but Emily talked to her back.  
  
"You're making a big mistake." Lydia stopped and looked over her shoulder at her enemy.  
  
"You're the one making the mistake by supporting Nikolas."  
  
TBC 


End file.
